Movie Preview: Across the Universe

Directed by Julie Taymor, Across the Universe seriously seems to defy categorization. It's dramatic, romantic, musical and historical, though there are some pretty out-there elements to it as well. As you can probably guess from this image featuring Eddie Izzard, the style is rather whimsical to the point of being, well, trippy.

According to an IMDB description, "An original musical film, Across The Universe is a fictional love story set in the 1960s amid the turbulent years of anti-war protest, the struggle for free speech and civil rights, mind exploration and rock and roll... A combination of live action and painted and three-dimensional animation, the film is paired with many Beatles songs that defined the time."

After viewing the trailer, I've decided that if I had a shroom-induced dream set to Beatles songs, it would probably look a lot like this. The movie is now playing in select theaters, so to check out the weird, but not altogether terrible trailer, read more

I am a HUGE Beatles fan! I bought this for myself because it came out on my birthday. I LOVED it!!!! I sat and watched with my family. If you are a die-hard Beatles fan, you will catch a lot of references to other Beatles songs not included in the movie. It is so original and really represents the music well. My favorite scene is "She's So Heavy". I love the way Julie Taymor interperted the song! One of my all-time faves!

This movie looks absolutely brilliant. I've been telling my bf about for a month, and even though it is a musical, he even wants to see it. It just looks so trippy. If I did shrooms or LSD, I definately make a point to be tripping when I watch it. BUT I DON'T, SO I WON'T!! I enjoy anything about the 60s, because at this point in are history, we are going through many of the same things.

I want to see this movie so bad!!! I love the music & I have already bought the soundtrack. Jim Sturgess (who plays Jude) is sooo cute. I'm kind of disappointed Evan Rachel Wood is in this movie though.

I saw it this past weekend… Boston is one of the lucky selected cities showing it early!
It was absolutely fantastic! As soon as I got home, I download the cd from iTunes… every song is a great tribute to the original Beatles. There were a couple that I as an avid fan of the Beatles, had never heard before.
I did see Cirque Du Soleil’s Love this summer so maybe I am biased to different interpretations of Beatles music in different mediums, but I just was blown away by this movie.
Certainly parts of it are trippy (Bono’s I Am the Walrus), but a lot of the movie focuses on the trauma and pain of the 60s brought me close to tears (Let It Be and Strawberry Fields Forever).
The cast is relatively unknowns, but all of them just light up the screen and have incredibly powerful voices. Who knew Evan Rachel Wood could sing?
While it might not be for everyone, I really enjoyed it enough to recommend it to everyone I know and to probably see it again this weekend.
A lot of critics are saying it is a love/hate movie… and I would agree. It is not a movie for my grandma, but it is a great movie for my parents who lived through the sixties and appreciate the music.
It is no Moulin Rouge, but it is still a great piece of historical and musical theater.

I think this movie looks beautiful! I actually went to see it this past weekend, but my bf got held up in a long running meeting and then we felt guilty about leaving the puppy for too long...long story short, I'll be back to see it this coming weekend for sure!

It made me laugh because I've lived away from my parents for over three years now and when I went to visit last month we went to see Stardust and when this preview was about to come on my dad leans over and whispers, this is such a 'you' movie. And he was so right, I cannot wait for this to come out but I don't know when it will be here in San Antonio!